Middle-Earth Role Playing also is known as MERP is a role-playing system that was published by Iron Crown Enterprises between 1984 and 1999 when the company was under license from Tolkien Enterprises to publish such material.

The game was a simplified version of their earlier fantasy role-playing system called Rolemaster. Unlike Rolemaster
the weapon and critical damage charts were greatly simplified, and there were only two spell realms instead of three.

This game system only had six character classes: warrior, scout, mage, animist, ranger, and bard. However, unlike Rolemaster this system provided 15 different types of human races: Beornings, Black Numenoreans, Corsairs, Dorwinrim, Dunedain, Dunlendings, Easterlings, Haradrim, Lossoth, Rohirrim, Rural-men, Urban-man, Variags, Woodmen, and Woses.

Everything needed to play the game was included in this one book including all spell lists, equipment lists, monster and animal charts, encounter charts, background information about Middle Earth including a list of languages, and even a sample adventure in the Trollshaws.

MERP and Rolemaster adventures were usually compatible to both systems.